Cotton-gin feeder and the like



Oct. 14, 1930. M, j PATE I 1,778,088

COTTON GIN FEEDER AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 4, 1 929 3 Sheets-Sheet l 0a. [14, 1930. v M, J, FATE 1,778,088

" com'ou GIN FEEDER AND THE LIKE Filgd Jan. 4, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 o "'m g I gnvewio'o M. J. FATE 8 Z LF Oct. 14, 1930. M. J. PATE COTTON GIN FEEDER AND THE LIKE.

Filed Jan. 4, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE MATTHEW J. PA'IE,

em COMPANY, or COLUMBUS,

0]! WILSON, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO'LUMMUS COTTON GEORGIA, A CORPORATION OF GEORGIA COTTON-GIN FEEDER AND THE LIKE Application filed January 4, 1929. Serial No. 330,376.

My invention relates to improvements in cotton gin feeders and the like, having for itsprimary object the provision of novel .means foreffectually preventing the trash and dirt from being swept into the gin through the action of the revolving spiked f drum or other cotton motivating means and I for removing trash and dirt from the cotton.

Even under the most favorable of ginning conditions,-that is to say when ginning high grade and comparatively clean cotton,- the air of the gin room will be heavily ladened with dust and loose lint which emanates from the feeder, the dirt and trash'conveyor of the feeder or that of the gin itself. Manifestly, wheat-he cotton being ginned is of the dirty, storm-beaten, sledded, snapped or i Y bolly'variety, the dust and lint ladening of the gin room air will beincreased several fold.

In addition to impairing the quality of the cotton, this conditionis a serious menaceto I the health of the gin room workers and needless to say it is very difficult to induce the help to work under these conditions.

It is therefore a further and highly important objectof my invention to eliminate V the'dust and lint-ladening of the gin room atmosphere, through the provision in associat1on w1th the feeder, or feeders, of novel enclosed means for conducting the dirt, trash and V loose lint away to a'point remotefromthe scene of ginning operation,and' which is capable of use with or without the usual dirt conveyor which ordinarily dumpsthe siftings in a pile adjacent the gins.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a feeder or the like for cotton gins, suction means for extracting the dirt g from the cotto'n the nature of the invention being such that it can be incorporated in the usual type of feeder or the like, without sub stantial modification thereof and at small expense.

The invention also resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts, and in modes of operation -all of which will .be

readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying drawings in connection with the following descriptive matter. 8

t is to be understood, of course, that the invention is capable of mechanical expression in a number of different ways, and that the 5f" disclosure of the drawings and this specification are to be taken merely as illustrative of what now appear to be the best modes of putting the invention to practice.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters have been employed to designate the same parts in all views,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view partly in section illustrating the application of one form of my invention to a battery of cotton 3 gin feeders;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional View through one of the feeders with the invention applied; Figure 3 is a detail perspective view, partly in section of a series of connected suction nozzles having dirt take-off pipes or flues associated therewith;

. vliigure 4 is a cross sectional view showing a modified form of the invention eliminating the nozzles of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the suction pipe and connecting trough construction of Figure 4, and

feeder or compression rollers 4: which discharge it upon the rapidly rotating drum 5, which is separated from the subjacent dirt chamber 8 by a screen 6. Y The compression rollers 4t and drum 5 rotate in the direction indicatedby the arrows in Figure2 and the cotton is discharged through the outlet 7 of the feeder into the breast of the gin in-a familiar manner. The action of the compression rollers 4 and the drum 5 tend to separate.

the dirt and loose lint from the cotton and a considerable portion thereof Will pass through the openings in the screen 6 down into the chamber 8. However, it will be obvious that in the operation of-the spiked drum 5 a considerable amount of dirt-freed from the cotton will float up and out thru opening 24 and also be swept out thru the cotton outlet 7. 7 It is this which fills the gin room'with dirt and loose lint.

In order to obviate the ladening of the atmosphere with dirt and loose lint, I positively draw the same thru the screen 6 by the air suction means which will now be described and which is the subject of my invention.

The feeder-construction described up to this point is more or less familiar and no novelty is iclaimedtherefor.

Still referring to Figure 2 it will be noted thatithefront dirt chamber wall 9 is extended toa point approximately mid-way between the front and rear walls of the trough-like bottom 10 of said chamber which ordinarily carries or receives the screw conveyor (not shown) .for conducting the dirt longitudinally of the feeder or battery thereof. The rear wall of the chamber'8has a lowerportion or 7 section 9 extending. in the direction'of' the lower edge of the front wall section 9 and terminating j ustshort of the same and some what above the'plane of the bottom wall of the trough 10. LThe space thus provided between the trough bottom 10 "and the bottom edge ofthe wall section 9 preferably runs the length of the feeder, and, as shown, is

availed of to receive the elongated nozzle 11, whose inlet end is substantially flush with the inner edge of the wall section 9 and spaced from the corresponding edge of'the section 9. i p c j The nozzlell'discharges into a suction pipe 121of which there will beone for .each feeder. Since, the gins are ordinarily employed in batteries of from two tosix, the suction pipes 12,which carry the nozzles 11, will be connected between the respective feeders by means of short pipe sections 1%, (see Figure 1). These pipe sections 12 have lateral conduits .131communicating with the suction fine 14, as indicated in Figure 1. The suction flue 14 will have'therein a suitable exhaust fan or other means (not shown) for creating the necessary vacuum in pipes 13, the pipe line 12, 1'2 and in the'chamber 8 of each of the feederslt i I The flue 14lwill preferably discharge'at .a

7 point remote from the scene of ginning oper; tions and preferably 1n anenclosed room or chamber,the nature of which is immaterial to the-present Invention;

It is believed to be plain from'the foregoing description taken. in connection: vwith the I g applied toa single feeder as well,v as to abatdirt and lint which is separated from the terythereof and likewise that tl of the outermost troughsections lo 7 positively drawn through the screen 6, making it impossible or substantially impossible for the cotton to wipe such dirt and foreign matter out through the feeder outlet 7 Another mode of carrying out my invention is illustrated in F igures and 5. Here the bottom or dirt collecting chamber 8 beneath the screen 6 is in nowise modified. Here, the usual screw conveyor 15 is illus- '7 trated extending longitudinally through the trough-like bottoms 10 of'the series of feeders and through customary troughboxes 16 disposed between the feeders. However, the troughs, or connections 16 between and at each outside end of the respective feeders are modified in that their tops are closed, as indicated at 17. V

:In carrying out the invention, each'trough section 16 is connected to the suction flue l8 by means of a conduit 19 having an elbow 20, the outer end of which is snugly fitted in an I openingQl in the trough section botton Location of the openings 21 in the hotter sof v the trough sections 17 ispreferable inthat itassures the carrying 03 of the heavier rash. Inthis form of the invention it will be manifest Ithatthe suction created by the exhaust ,elementin fine '18 will,through;the closed anddust chambers 8 of, each feeder, thus, extracting all the dirt and free lint from the cotton, anddrawing it through the screen 6% Assuming that the suction draft is co in each instance, the main dii-ierence he the two forms of invention, is that tl of the nozzle 11 produces more en suction, since each chamber-.8 will he suojeca ed to perpendicular suction throughoutits entirelength. 911 the other i and when employing the construction of Figures i and the lines of suction force or draft will converge-toward each end of trough 0 of each feeder. Thus, the effective dirt rec-ti capacityor strength of the draft will tend t decrease inyforcetowarc the center of chamber 8 c g However, it .is proper to statethai lie latterconstruction has been found very cient in practical use as the convey r 15 will j-;.;, collect up allthe screenings and deliver them to the suctionopenings or connections 21. between: and at outside ends of all the feeder In each instance airwill be drawn hrow 1 the feeder,through"the openings 3,245. l also through thefdischarge opening 7 at the front. The openings 1 as being availed of to draw in any dirt ladened air that may in the gin room andstir ed up by the vibration and operation ofthe machinery. {of-tome, "it is to beunders tood formof invention'of Figures i ande can' be that the and more specifically'to enable a stronger suction draft to be developed at the back of the feeder,an auxiliary air inlet opening 30 is provided in the rear wall of the feeder above the sill 31, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, these parts being designated as 30, 31, respectively, in Figures and The openings 30, 30 are adapted to be controlled by valves 32, 32 in Figures 1 and 2 and 8 and i i res oectivel The valves 32 3:2 are a, I 1 a panel variety and have closed trans v of the ;e s ots 32, 3%, respectively, which receive p 0.6 studs 38, 38 respectively, extending item the back ofthe feeder. lluts ire mailed of for clamping the valve panels in a set position.

2 As will be obvious, the provision of the urn iliary air inlet openings at the rear of the feeders enables air to be drawn downwardly along the back of the feeder and overcomes the suction obstructing edect of the drum 5 which with the accumulated cotton between the same and the screen 6 would materially diminish the suction at the baclz of the feeder as compared to the suction at the front. Furthermore, at the front of the feeder there is the opening 2% and likewise the opening 40 has its lower rear wall/l3 provided with three openings receive the ends of three pipes i, the cute ends of which are carried by a conduit and which element has not been show construction ust recited has the advant 7. The valve or panel 32 or 32 can be regulated to increase or CllnllIllSh the size of the opening 30 or 30 according to the nature of the cotton being cleaned and fed to the gin, and also in accordance with the rapidity ,of feed ofthe cotton.

Figure 6 illustrates a further modification of the invention. Here, the dirt chamber l i spaced in the direction of the length of the feeder. These openings l4 5 which has at its end a branch 4C7 leadin to a suitable discharge point,-it being uncei stood that a suction draft creating element is associated with the pipe 46 or the pipe rm? I over the construction shown in Figures 4; and 5 in that a more uniform draftor suction may i be applied to the chamber 410 than is the case with the chamber 8 of Figure i,inasmuch say between the ends of the feeder, grea increase theiefliclence since the dead suct1on {asthere the suction outlet pipes 20, are

located at the ends of each feeder.

construction shown in'Figure 7 the pr. of the intermediate suc ion brancn. blll o space at the center of the dirt chamber is substantially eliminated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and: desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a cotton feeder, having a dirt chamber, a suction pipe extending longitudinally thereof, a nozzle co-extensive in length with said pipe and feeder, the feeder having a longitudinal opening adjacent the bottom of the dirt chamber to receive said nozzle, and a suction flue communicating with said suction pipe and adapted to convey the dirt from a plurality of suction pipes to a remote point.

2. The combination of a cotton feeder or the like comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet for the cotton and a communicating dirt chamber, a suction exhaust conveyorcommunicating with said dirt chamber, and said feeder casing having an air inlet in one wall between said cotton inlet and outlet and clear of the path of the cotton whereby dust laden air of the gin room will be eX- municating dirt chamber, a suction exhaust conve or communicating with said dirt chamber, and said feeder casing having an air inlet substantially co-extensive with the length of one wall and located between said cotton inlet and outlet whereby dust laden air of the gin room will be exhausted through said feeder and conveyor, and a control valve for said air inlet.

4. The combination of a gin feeder having a cotton feeding opening,a scren and a dirt chamber beneath the screen, suction means associated with said chamber, one wall'of the feeder above said screen having a valved air blast inlet opening independent of said cotton feeding opening which is usually pretty well closed by incomin cotton, means for diverting the incoming cotton away from said air inlet opening to prevent clogging of same, and means for throwing the cotton against said screen in'the path of the air drawn in through said air inlet opening.

5'. In a cotton gin feeder comprising a casing havinga'cleaning chamber and a s'ubjacent dirt chamber, a rotating feeder drum in said cleaning chamber and turning toward the rear wall of said casing, a screen separating said dirt and cleaning chambers and having an upwardly extending portion spaced from the rear casing wall to provide an upward extension of said dirt chamber, said rear casing wall having an air blast inlet opening into said cleaning chamber above 'said'upward extension of said dirt chamber,

and means for applying suction to said dirt elongated nozzle in said outlet, and means cent dirt chamber, a rotating feeder drum in said cleaning chamber .and turning toward the rear wall of said casing, a screen separating said dirt and-cleaning chambers and having an upwardly extending portion spaced from the rear casingwall to provide an vupward extension of said dirt chamber, said rear casing wall having an air blast in-. letopening into said cleaning chamber above said upward extension of said dirt chamber, means for applying suction to said dirt chamber, rotatably driven feeding means substantially opposite said air blast inlet opening for supplying cotton to said feeder drum, and said feeding means turning in a direction to throw the incoming cotton initially away from said'air blast inlet.

7. In a cotton gin feeder comprising a casing having a cleaning chamber and a. subjacent dirt chamber, a rotating feeder drum in saidcleaning chamber and turning toward the rear wall of said casing, a screen separating said'dirt and cleaning chambers and having an upwardly extending portion spaced from the rear casing wall to provide an upward extension of said dirt chamber, said rear v casingwall having an air blast inlet opening into said cleaning chamber above said upward extension of said, dirt chamber, said dirt chamber having. an outlet substantially coextensive in length therewith, an

for applying suction to said nozzle.

' 8. In a cotton g infeeder including a walled casinghaving a cotton inlet and outlet, a rotatable feeder drum, a dirt chamber, a screen separating said drum from said dirt chamber, one casing wall having an air inlet opening, means for initially deflecting the incomingcotton away from said air inlet, and means for applying suction to said dirt chamber whereby to subject the cotton. be-. tween said drum and casing wall to a direct dirt-removing draft and keep the gin room clear of dust.

9; In a cotton gin feeder including a walled casing having a cotton inlet and outlet, a rotatable feeder drum, a dirt chamber,

a screen separating said drum from said dirt chamber, one casing wall-having anair inlet, opening, rotatable means opposite saidair inlet opening for feeding the cottonto said drum' and away from said opening, and

means for applying suction tosaid dirt i ohamberywhereby to subject the'cotton be tween said drum and casing wall to a direct dirt-removing draftand keep the gin room clear of dust.

, 10. The combination of a gin feeder having a cotton feeding opening, a screen and a :dirt chamb'er'beneath the screen, suction means associatedwith said chamber, one wall of the feeder above said screen having a valved air blast inlet opening independent of said cotton feeding opening which is usually pretty well closed by incoming cotton, and means for diverting the incoming cotton away from said air inlet opening to prevent clogging of same.

11. The combination of a, gin feeder having a cotton feeding opening, a screen and a dirt chamber beneath the screen, suction means associated with said chamber, one Wall of the feeder above said screenhaving anair blast inlet opening independent of said cotton feedino opening which is usually pretty well closed by incoming cotton, a slidable closure panel for varying the dimensions of said air blast inletopening, holding means for said panel, and means for diverting the incoming cotton away from said air inlet 0 )enin to, )revent clo 'ino' of same.

12. In a cotton feeder having a dirt cham- MATTHEW J. PETE. 

